DUSHANBE, April 30, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Russia plans to increase tariffs for gasoline exported to Tajikistan from US$283.9 per ton to US$408.3 starting from May 1, Russian media outlets report.

The Russian government passed an appropriate decree on this subject on April 25, Russian news agency, RIA Novosti, said.

Russia announced last Thursday it would not export any gasoline next month and would direct all sales to the domestic market in a bid to curb a recent shortage that saw a jump in prices.  The move came after two dozen Russian regions reported gasoline shortages.

Governors of several Russian regions reported 30 percent increases in petrol prices and a general shortage of supplies.

Russia large oil companies forecast a five to seven percent increase in short-term prices across the country.

According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Tajikistan has imported 112,000 tons of oil products from Russia over the first three months of this year, which is 79.3 percent of Tajikistan’s fuel imports for the report period.